In the Headlines:
Kautz on Gadgets for the Aging, Cook on NYC's Trans Fats Ban

News
and Announcements

University
Hosts Holiday Social for Faculty, Staff
Celebrate the season at a special holiday social for all faculty and
staff on Tuesday, December 19, in the May Room in Wilson Commons from
2:30 to 4:30 p.m. In addition to live performances, there will be hot
and cold hors d'oeuvres and door prizes.

FSA
Two-and-a-Half Month Rollover Provision Eliminated
Under the 2007 Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Program, all FSA expenses
must be incurred during the 2007 calendar year. Therefore, when budgeting
election amounts for 2007, it is necessary to incur all eligible medical/dental
and/or dependent-care expenses before December 31, 2007. There will
not be a 2-1/2 month rollover provision for those enrolling in a 2007
FSA. The provision was eliminated to permit the University to explore
other options to supplement FSAs in the future.

Please note, participants
who elected an FSA in 2006 will have until March 15 to incur claims
against their 2006 unused balances. However, participants who submit
claims incurred prior to March 15 to a 2006 FSA cannot also submit those
claims to a 2007 FSA. For more details, see the FSA brochure available
on the Benefits Office Web
site.

Graduate
Student's Code Included in Next Generation of Java
Bill Scherer, who recently completed his doctoral degree in computer
science, has written code that so dramatically increases the efficiency
of the popular programming platform Java that it has been incorporated
into the software's newly released next generation.

Focus
Turns to Music for Faculty Presentation
Steven Laitz, a pianist and faculty member at the Eastman School, will
discuss music theory and illustrate how the theory is relevant both
to musicians and nonmusicians as part of the continuing Second Friday
Science Social lecture series at the Medical Center on Friday, December
8.

Leading
Mozart Scholar Visits Eastman on December 14
Robert Levin, one of America’s leading keyboard players in the
early instrument movement and best known as a Mozart pianist and scholar,
will visit Eastman School on Thursday, December 14, to deliver the inaugural
lecture supported by the Glenn Watkins Lecture Fund. He also will deliver
a preconcert talk before the Eastman-Rochester Chorus/Philharmonia Chamber
Orchestra concert set for 8 p.m.

Reminder:
Open Enrollment Sessions Continue
Open enrollment sessions for faculty and staff continue this week and
early next. Representatives from Aetna, Excellus, and the Benefits Office
will be available to answer questions. See the Web
for a schedule of dates, times, and locations.

Sports
Buzz

Men's and
Women's Swimming: The teams host RIT on Saturday, December
9, at 1 p.m.

Women's
Basketball: The Yellowjackets host Union College at 2 p.m.
on Saturday.

Rochester
in the News

Business
Week (December 5)A
New Breed of Tech for the Aging
"We need to always keep [privacy concerns] in mind, but there's
also a great potential for technology to enhance independence and dignity,"
says Henry Kautz, professor of computer science, in a report about the
growth of technology gadgets that are geared toward the aging baby-boomer
generation.

Democrat
and Chronicle (December 6)Ban
on Trans Fat Ordered in N.Y.C.
"Well-intended people created trans fat as (an alternative) to
saturated fat," says Stephen Cook, assistant professor of pediatrics,
in a report about New York City's recently announced ban on trans fats
in restaurants. "We said, 'Wow, if we hydrate certain oils . .
. we have this food product that tastes so creamy, and wow, no saturated
fat. Oh, great!'"

In
Higher Education

The New York
Times (December 2)Studying
Philanthropy, and Doling Out Real Cash
"Colgate University offers a class in philanthropy where, at the
end of the school year, the students will award $10,000 to nonprofit
organizations of their choice."